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WWII 32nd Station Hospital | WWII Africa to Caserta Italy
| Willard O. Havemeier WWII
ON TO FORT BENNING, GEORGIA
From Rucker we went to Fort Benning, Georgia for more training
in hospital matters, ward duties, and office work. Here also
was the parachute training facility for the military; there
were three large towers from which the men were released to
prepare them for jumping. On Saturdays, many of these
men jumped from planes, and we got a lot of fracture cases
in the hospital. Our training consisted of familiarizing
ourselves with ward duty in addition to working in the office.
Fort Benning was considered a permanent military post and
there were extensive facilities for us. Dances were
held on a regular basis in the service club in our area.
We had live orchestras who played big band music. Girls
were bussed in from the local colleges. I met a nice Southern
girl. She was hard to understand, but then I guess I
was, too. At twenty-two, this was my first real date.
I visited her at the college and she came to the post.
She wrote to me while I was overseas. I tried to look
her up after the war and found she had married a Lieutenant
Colonel. I tore up her picture. So much for my first romance.
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